New Hearts for a New World
Convoking the 21st General Chapter of Marcellin Champagnat’s
Little Brothers of Mary
Brother Seán D. Sammon, FMS
Superior General
Institute of the Marist Brothers
Volume XXXI, no. 4
September 8th, 2008
Publisher:
Istituto dei Fratelli Maristi
Casa Generalizia
Roma – ITALIA
Production and Administrative Center:
Fratelli Maristi
Piazzale Marcellino Champagnat, 2
00144 Roma
ITALIA
Tel. (39) 06 545171
Fax. (39) 06 54517217
www.champagnat.org
Formatting and Photolithography:
TIPOCROM S.R.L.
Via A. Meucci, 28
00012 Guidonia (Roma), ITALIA.
Printing:
C.S.C. GRAFICA, S.R.L.
Via A. Meucci, 28
00012 Guidonia (Roma), ITALIA.
Photography:
Onorino Rota, fms
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ezekiel 36, 26 5
Part I
History and context of the General Chapters 7
Part II
Nature and purpose of Chapter 39
Conclusion 51
Appendix 55
Notes 61
I will give you a new heart
and place within you a new spirit,
I will take your hearts of stone
and transform them into hearts of flesh.
Ezekiel 36, 26
PART I
History and context of the General Chapters
September 8th, 2008
Feast of the birth of Mary
Dear Brothers,
At 9:00 AM on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009, members of our 21st General Chapter will gather at the General House in Rome to begin their work. This starting date, the feast of the birth of Mary, and location were fixed by members of the present General Council; those brothers who make up the Chapter Preparatory Commission will suggest a tentative closing date once their own planning has moved ahead. The Chapter members themselves, of course, have the last word when it comes to determining when they will bring their work to completion.
St. Ignatius took a dim view of Chapters, seeing them as little more than a distraction that took many qualified Jesuits away from their apostolic work.[1] But even he admitted to their necessity for the election of a General Superior for the Society or when difficult matters touching its larger body had to be addressed.
In contrast, others consider a Chapter to be a precious gift in the life of any Institute. In the Benedictine tradition, for example, it is the preferred method of decision making, reminding all involved about the importance of community.
Our Marist tradition of Chapters goes back to the time of Marcellin himself. The first took place in 1839, a year prior to his death; its delegates elected Brother François as Director General. Thirteen years later, the 30 brothers who gathered for our second Chapter gave their assent to a rule of life and approved a form of government and method of teaching.
During subsequent years, General Chapters have continued to play a central role in the life of our Institute, especially since Vatican II when they became an important part of the process of renewal initiated by that historic gathering.
THE STRUCTURE OF THIS CIRCULAR
This Circular is divided into three sections. The first includes a general introduction followed by a brief history of Marist Chapters and some General Conferences held during the years following Vatican II. A discussion about the social and religious context in which the work of these meetings took place is included as well as an analysis of the factors in both areas that may have a bearing on our upcoming Chapter.
Other topics found in this section include: a word about the renewal of Marist life and mission and the important place of discernment in that process, mention of several specific challenges that we face as an Institute today, a short description of the role and responsibilities of a Chapter capitulant, some thoughts about the involvement of Marist laymen and women in the preparation for the Chapter, a few reflections on the changing nature of Church life and the several “worlds” in which more than a few of today’s young people find themselves living, and, finally, some practical suggestions to help you prepare personally for next year’s gathering.
The second part of the text is more technical in nature and includes information about the structure and purpose of a General Chapter, the process to be used for the election of delegates and their substitutes, and those Chapter responsibilities that fall to provinces and districts. Some concluding remarks bring the circular to completion.
The third section of the Circular contains two memos.
They will be of particular interest to Provincials in that they list important dates in the process of Chapter preparation and also summarize the steps to take when electing Chapter delegates and their substitutes.
OUR MARIST TRADITION OF CHAPTERS
General Chapters do not take place within a vacuum.
The events of history as well as developments in our Church and Institute can influence their organization as well as the matters taken up by their members.
We should not be surprised to discover, therefore, that since the close of the Council an evolution has taken place in the organization of our General Chapters; their themes have also varied in keeping with the times. For example, delegates to our 16th General Chapter, held in two sessions (1967-68), were charged with the challenging task of re-imagining all aspects of our way of life in light of the grace of the Council.
Brother Basilio, newly elected as Superior General, lost little time in challenging his brothers to respond to the calls of the Church and world by moving closer to the poor and rekindling their missionary zeal. By the time the Chapter wrapped-up its work, delegates had produced a library of documents about our Marist life and tradition that remains contemporary to the present day.
Shortly thereafter, however, a series of troubling events began to unfold. To begin with, during the period from 1969 to 1971, 1401 brothers left the Institute.
Discontent about community life also began to grow and the personal shortcomings of some brothers, hidden previously by the rigid structures in place prior to the Council, moved into the light of day. Nevertheless, the process of experimentation was embraced with energy and generosity by many who dedicated themselves to refashioning our Institute and its mission for a new age.
In 1971, provincials, along with the Superior General, Vicar General and the members of the General Council gathered for the Institute’s first General Conference.
Pointing out that the changes called for by the Chapter of 1967-68 were never meant to consist of a simple rejection of the past, Brother Basilio and others reminded all involved in the experimentation and change underway about their obligation to distinguish between what was of value and what was better cast aside. Religious life, they insisted, had to face up to the task of redefining itself in a world that was in the throes of social transformation.
Conference participants did not have to look very far to justify this last observation. Evidence of political and social upheaval was widespread. Newly elected Communist Party Secretary Alexander Dubcek’s reform of political and administrative structures in Czechoslovakia, for example, had raised hopes that a new springtime of freedom was getting underway in Eastern Europe.
Instead, his efforts set the stage for a crushing Soviet invasion in late April 1968. The “Prague Spring” of that year was short lived indeed! Student movements were also sweeping across the continents of Europe and North America. Marked by calls for greater personal freedom, a new sexual ethic, and greater gender equality, these initiatives offered a sharp challenge to conventional outlooks on morality and past understandings about the nature of authority.
Newly established nation states on the continents of Africa and Asia did not escape the turmoil that marked this period of world history. Recently independent after years of colonial rule, several became the site of political assassination and tribal strife.
In September 1976 another group of Chapter members assembled in Rome. Their charge? To evaluate the ad experimentum new Constitutions that had been in place since 1968. They made the decision to live with that document for at least another nine years. And, then, taking note of the rapid and profound social change underway at that time, they turned their attention to the topics of poverty and justice studying both through the prism of these foundational areas: prayer, apostolate, and community.
What was the result of their work? A document that was quite prophetic. For the first time in the history of our Institute a link was made between the issues of poverty and justice. Furthermore, Chapter delegates challenged all members of the Institute, as well as our works and communities to make this issue their own.
Those participating in the Chapter were also moved to compose a letter to all members of the Institute, entitling it The Marist Brother Today. Written from the heart, it was meant to inspire and encourage all who read it while, at the same time, introduce them to some of the Chapter’s fruits. The text might best be described as a much needed profession of faith in ourselves and our identity as well as an affirmation of those with whom we shared ministry and those whom we had been called to serve.
September of 1985 saw still another group of delegates making their way to Rome. As members of our 18th General Chapter they spent ten weeks hammering out the draft text of what became our revised Constitutions and Statutes. Having completed their work they entrusted the task of redaction to Brother Alain Delorme, of the then-Province of Notre Dame de l’Hermitage, who produced the fine document that we have today.
At the outset Brother Basilio, having completed 18 years as Superior General, spoke about his delight with the number of positive initiatives underway in so many areas. However, he also pointed to the gap that existed between what we said and wrote about ourselves and the reality of our lives and expressed concern about what he saw as a lack of integration in many brothers.
He faulted, in part, our initial and ongoing programs of formation. Concern about the quality of community life continued unabated, he reported, and differences of opinion existed about the nature of justice education and what was entailed in service to the poor.
As they concluded their meeting, Chapter members drew up a list of priorities. Vocation promotion and restructuring of apostolic works in light of declining numbers and increasing age secured first and second place respectively. Other topics included strengthening our formation programs and the hope that we would eventually give approval to a Guide in that area[2], developing our apostolic spirituality, promoting enculturation, revitalizing our identity as brothers and carrying back home the message of our new Constitutions and Statutes.
The General Conference of 1989 was the first in the history of our Institute that was held away from Rome.
Those involved, along with a group of six young brothers invited by the then Superior General, Brother Charles Howard, gathered for three weeks in Veranopolis, Brazil. Their presence coincided with the 100th anniversary of our brothers’ arrival in Latin America. Prior to the Conference itself, each participant had been invited to make a pilgrimage of solidarity in one of the then existing provinces or districts of Latin America.
Our 1993 Chapter took place in Rome. During the months leading up to that meeting, Brother Charles and his Council suggested that these three elements be evident in the work that would follow: greater appreciation of the need for personal and communal discernment, solidarity ad intra and ad extra, greater openness to our lay colleagues in mission. Delegates eventually focused their attention on four themes: Mission, Solidarity, Apostolic Spirituality, and Formation. Also discussed, however, were the areas of Marist partnership, discernment, and community life.
In spite of the many issues taken up by our 1993 Chapter, the topic of solidarity won the day. As a result of Chapter deliberations, an International Bureau of Solidarity was established; it continues until this day. So also, a Solidarity Fund was put into place and voluntary donations to it gratefully received.
The word refounding was also introduced at this General Chapter. Almost immediately it generated controversy with some embracing the concept as an adequate description of the extent of renewal needed and others arguing that to refound actually implied the formation of a new Institute.
Likewise, the process of restructuring that has occupied us for the last decade and a half was an initiative of the 1993 Chapter. This bold decision introduced into the Institute a new sense of internationality; some brothers found themselves living in provinces made up of several different countries and using a number of different languages. Over time they began to acquire a better sense of the differences that exist among us as well as an appreciation of all that we share in common.
In reality, however, we are only in the first stages of the process of restructuring. It will take time for the fruits of this initiative to become apparent. Patience and hard work are necessary if we are to ever reach our goal of a restructured and renewed Institute worldwide.
Though lay consultants and observers had been part of previous Chapters, our 1993 gathering marked the first time that a significant group of them was invited for several days and asked near the end of their stay to issue a statement to the Chapter members and the Institute at large.
Finally, Chapter delegates asked that the new General Administration develop a document that captured the philosophy of Marcellin’s approach to education and also spoke about its practical application in today’s world.
This request was eventually answered in the form of a publication entitled In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat:
A vision for Marist education today.[3] The years that followed our 1993 Chapter were marked by continued strife in many parts of our world, strife that touched the life of our Institute: eleven brothers and some family members and others associated with the Institute met their deaths due to ethnic violence, war, or at the hands of extremists.
There were bright moments also, with the canonization of our founder, Marcellin Champagnat, being among the most memorable. Provinces and districts also struggled with the process of restructuring, with some at first seeing little purpose to it. Over time, however, most regions of the Institute, accepting the fact that vitality and viability were the aim of the process, embraced this mandate of the Chapter and moved ahead.
A new millennium was just getting underway as delegates gathered for our 20th General Chapter. Working under the heading of Choose Life, they produced a brief but substantial document bearing the same title. The text detailed five calls and challenged members of the Institute and all associated with it to be bold and daring in responding to them.